Disk cultivator



June 24, 1930. F. E. ALLEN 1,766,164

DI SK CULTIVATOR I Filed July 15" 29 Z3 /6 I 40 M F Z8 I 9. 4 Z7 33 2 5fzwen or FrazzZr 5. flZ/en per @4 12 Air" 5 Patented June I DISKCULTIVATGR is Ap plicat ion fi l ed.1111y 15,

My invention relates tothat class of hand cultivators having r t t ldisks for looser} ing and working the rth'o h sidesof a "l f plants. 1 vI V 75' Theobject of my invention provide a device of this character ofsimple,.-durable and inexpensive construction in which rotatable; disksoperate to loosenand work the earth and destroy the weeds on both sidesof a .plantlrow over which the device'may be moved,' and which maybeiad'ju sted to work 7 the loosened earth inwardly or 'outw ardlyoidAjfurther object is to provide a cultivator ofthi thefplants andtheir'leaves and preventing them from being covered by the. earthloosened and workeds-by the disks. I

My invention consists in] the construction,

arrangement and combination ofvthe .various parts of the device, wherebythe objects, con templated are attained, as hereinafter more fully. setfortln pointed out in my;claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in

- Figure 1 shows side elevation of my im proved disk cultivator. I IFigure 2 showsa plan view of same.

Figure 3 shows a rear view of the device.

- l igure 4 shows anfenlarged", detail ,view

of'one of'the cultivatingelements and its ad justing lever. a

f Referring to the accompanying drawings I have used the referencenumeral lO-totin- 3 dicate the frame generally. Said frame -con sistsofinverted, substantially U shapedside portions having handle bars 12attached thereto and extendingwrearwardly and upwardlyz, Ahandle 13'is'attached totheupper endof saidbars the machine; Lower sidemembers 16close the lower ends of theinverted ,Ushapedside portions and completesaid sideportions;

Guide wheels 14 are rotatably mountedfon I the forward ends of thes'ide'p'0rtions11-t0 movablyi support the forward end ofvthe cultivatorabove the ground surface and to grovide an. easy means to guide'thedevice. aid wheels are spaced ';apart so that'they will travel onoppositesidesofa plant r'ow' s character having means for protecting Theadjustment levers for pushing. and guiding 929. senarm, stasis. g I overwhich the. cultivator niay be moved; Saidoside members are rigidlyconnected by cross membersf17', 18 and 19. k i I, a f Theearth workingelementsQO are, Sp aCed apartand extend outwardly relative to the plantrow'so that they may loosen andwork the earth on both'sides of said rowEach earth working element comprises a threaded shaft 21 on which ismounted a plurality. of

spaced disks 22 secured against rotary lld 69 lateral movementon theshaft by -nutsj21 It is very desirable at times to change thespacingofjthe disks to accommodate plants of different sizesjbetweenftheworking-'ele-' ments] 20, and this constructionfpermits such changestobe made easily;an d"quicklyl, f;f Theouter end oftlie shaft 22, is.rotatably mounted in a bearing23 pivotal'ly attached to thememberlfiof'the frame and having its free end adaptedto bemovedlinasubstan tially horizontalplaneQ Each shaft ispr'o: vided withan adjustment leverfiihaving a bearing 24 pivoted' to iitsjlower 'eidgin which bearingth inner end of thefshaft-21 is'ro; tatably mouiitediThe elemenwo is'adapted. be; adi i t dr of h nge* the-angle. of; the Ydisks relative to the directionofj movement and to cause the earth to beworked inwardly V i or outwardly of theplant row-whe gthje culj tivatoris m'oved over said r0v\z;. Q I g The disks may be flat orfconceve, Theflat 7 disk ispreferable only when frequent adjustments to work theearth first in one direction and then the other areto bje made. I Thewolrk ing'elements may be adjustedto work the 81 earth from one side tothe-other, as well as working it inwardly or outwardly of the plantr'ow.

are] .pivotally mounted'on a bowed portion 26 'ofa longitudinal member27, which is attached at its rear end to cross member l8andextendsupwardly and forwardly and is attached at 'its frontend to the crossmem'ber'I'Z 'Theupper ends of the levers 25f'extend above the bowed.portion 26' and are adapted to rfit into notches 28 inf a;longitudinally extending memberlfZQ-attaohed at itsflrear-endto cross]member 19 and extendforwardlyl'andidown-t wardly, and attached'at'itsforward end to a [the cross member ,17. said notches hold the V leversin various positions of adjustment.

.plantsto pass between attached to their lower ends.

I earth loosened by the disks from covering the plants.

bent slightly outwardly to raise The front ends of the shields arebeveled upwardly and rearwardly andare the leaves of the larger plantsand keep them from being covered with'loosened earth. A stand 32 is 7;in .a raised positionto keep the disks from pivotally attachedtothedownwardly extend-1 7 *ing that the rear end of the device may be heldrear member of the side portion ll, so

\ resting on'a floorior oth'erfhar d surfacewhen V cutting edge'ofsaid-disks.

thus protecting the the machine isnot in use, 7

A hook 33 pivoted ;;to one of the rear side members 15 is theldisks ofthe earth working elements may be-quicklyand easily adjustedl'ongitufdinal .ly ofthe shaft on whichthey are-mounted.

, the earth wor 'adapted toihold the stand out of the way when thecultivator is beingoperated. The; advantage of' this cultivator is thatIt' is'; often desirable toqhickly change the spacing of hedisks,particularly where the size of theplants in different beds varycon- I .fsiderably, and this canbe done by the construction" abovedescribedk V this'devi'ceis aaking elements are pivotally Another advatage of fmounted at-theirouter. ends and their inner ends'are 1freetobe, adjusted,;thus providing;

. a 'certainamount. of adjustment to accommodate diiferentisizeplants,for it will be seen that asftheinnerendwmovesfin an arcI-and the"distanCeof the disks from h kr in the. plant" row will vary ,as" theworking element lsmovedto different positions of justment jThe ends ofthe levers are on the f top and in the center wherethey are easilyaccessible to make quick adjustments. i A further advantage isv thattheshields 1 protectthe small plants and prevent them I claim as mynv'entionz from being coveredby the loosened earth and their flanged andbeveled front ends will raise f the leavesof thei 'larger plants, thuspres venting the leaves from being cut up by the I disks and preventingthe loosened earth from 7 covering them.

i 1. Ina device'of the .classfdescribed, a

' frame having spaced side portions-rigidly connected, wheels attachedto the frame to e I movably' support the front end of said frame,

earth working elements adapted to L allow plants in a plant, row to passbetween said elements, each earth working element comprising a rotatableshaft, a series of spaced diskson saldshafameans for adjusting the"disks longitudinally of the shaft, andmeans 7 extending above the'top ofthe frame.

l. In a device, of the class described,- 'a

between the earth working elements for:

preventing the loosened earth from covering the plants. n a

2.111 a device connected, wheels attached to the frame to movablysupport the front end thereof, earth J i working elements adapted. toallow plants in a plant row to pass between said elements,

7 working element comprising a substantially "horizontal shaft, spaceddisks mountedon the shaft-a bearing; which the outer end of the shaft isr0 each earth of the class described, a frame having spaced'sideportions rigidly a series of tatably mounted, said-bearing .being piv--otally attached to the adjacent side portion,

a lever pivoted to. the free end-of; the shaft and adapted to adjusttheangle of the disks relative to the direction of movement so that theearth may be worked inwardly or "outwardly of the-plant row. I

3.111 a device, of the class connected, V V movably support thefront endthereof, earth working elements adapted to allow plants in I 185 Q hdescribed, a frame having spaced side portions rigidly wheelsattachedsto the frame to r a plant row to pass between sald elements, 7.a

each earth working element comprising a V substantially horizontalshaft, a series of;

spaced disks mounted on the'shaft,.-a bearing in which the outer end oftl1e' 'shaft is rotatably mounted, said bearing being 'fpivotallyattached to the {adjacent side portion,

a lever pivoted to the free end'of the shaft a Q and adapted to adjustthe angle of thedisks relativeto the direction of movement so that theearth may be worked inwardly'or out;- wardly ofthe pivotally mounted onthe frameand extending upwardly, theiupper endvof said lever plantrow,'said lever being framehaving spaced side "portions rigidlyconnected, wheels attached to the frame to movably support the front endthereof, earth working elements adapted to allow plants ma plantrow topass between said elements,'

each 'earth' working element comprising a substantially horizontalshaft, a series .of

spaced disks mounted on the shaft, a bearing, I in which the outer endof the shaft is ro'.-'

tatably mounted, said bearing being 'piv-f otally attached to the adjacentside portion,

alever pivoted to the free the earth may 'be' workedinwardly or'iou't,

wardly of the plant row, 's'aidleverbeing pivotally mounted on theframe'and extending upwardly, the upper end ofjsaid lever extendingabove the top of-the frame, and shields extending longitudinally of theframe between the earth working elements and adapted to raise the leavesof the said "plants from being plants and. protect covered by theloosened earth. I

end'of the shaft s and adapted to adjust the angle of the disks arelative to the direction of movementso that r 5; In a device of theclass described, a

7 frame having spaced side partitions rigidly connected, disk supportingshafts," a 'series' of spaced disks in' each shaft,.means for pivotallyconnecting the outer ends of said shaftsto their adjacent frame members,and I V a a lever pivoted to' the inner end-of each shaft adapted toadjust theangle of the disks relative to their line of movement so'thatearth engaged by said disk may be moved I inwardly or outwardly of aplant row. Y

-Des Moines, Iowa, June-19, 1929.] c

FRANK' E ALLEN,

